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Oak Tree Pruning in El Dorado Hills

Need oak tree pruning in El Dorado Hills? Phone us now at (530) 255-2773. We'll find a local tree trimming company that knows oaks and set up a visit at your place.

Oaks are the old-timers of the neighborhood. They were here before the sidewalks, and they don't like to be rushed.

What an oak that needs pruning in El Dorado Hills looks like

Most healthy oaks need very little. A Master Gardener class written for our county calls oaks tough, hardy and used to dry summers, and tells people not to panic over most oak problems.

So when does a pro need to come out? Here are the usual signs.

• Dead branches up top, still bare when the rest of the tree leafs out.
• A long, heavy limb that reaches over the roof, deck or driveway.
• Low limbs you duck under or that scrape the truck.
• Broken limbs hanging after a windy night.
• Clumps of mistletoe spreading through the crown.

That long limb deserves a second look. The same talk describes summer limb drop. On hot, calm days, oak limbs can break and fall without warning. They tend to be sideways limbs, anywhere from 3 to 12 feet along from the trunk. They may even be sound. The talk says big sideways limbs over a house, walkway or driveway should be taken off.

First, figure out which oak you own

This surprises folks. Oaks don't all get pruned in the same season.

Here is the Master Gardener rule in one breath: bare-in-winter oaks get cut in winter, and green-all-year oaks get cut in summer.

Based on a 2020 Master Gardener talk by Deborah Nicolls for El Dorado and Amador counties.

Your neighborhood sits low, about 768 feet above sea level, according to Wikipedia. Those three kinds fit your elevation: valley, blue and interior live oak. The Master Gardener talk puts black oaks at 2,000 to 6,000 feet, so you'll mostly meet those uphill, past Camino. A few show up in yards because somebody planted them.

Not sure which one you own? Take a photo of a leaf. Or ask the pro during the visit.

What a careful cut looks like

The best oak work holds back. The ISA's rule is that 25 percent of the crown is the most that should go in one round, and old trees get less.

The cuts come in a few kinds.

• Cleaning takes out dead, dying and weak branches.
• Thinning removes some branches to let in light and air, which also lightens the heavy limbs.
• Raising removes the lowest limbs, so a roof, a path or a parked truck has room.
• Reduction cuts a long limb back to a smaller side branch, so there's no stub.

Each cut is made right outside the branch collar, the puffy ring at the base of a branch. UC's guide on wood decay blames wounds, from snapped limbs or bad cuts, for most of the rot that gets in. So stubs and flush cuts are out.

Topping is a hard no. A topped tree can lose half to all of its leafy crown, says the arborist brochure. The shoots that grow back hold on poorly. On an old oak, that is asking for trouble.

One more tip from the Master Gardeners. Make cuts so they don't leave wounds or little pockets where water can sit.

Oaks and the rules in El Dorado Hills

The Master Gardener talk says the county's oak rules were adopted in 2017 as part of the general plan. It describes them as tougher than state law. It also says the best move is to contact the county before taking any oak out.

Pruning and removal are separate questions. Even so, a big cut changes how an oak looks and lives. If you're planning one, ask your pro and ask the county or your city.

What oak trimming in El Dorado Hills costs

Oaks cost more than most trees. The wood is hard, the limbs spread wide, and a lot of the work is up high.

Those are national guides. Local quotes can land above or below them. A big valley oak with a long limb over a roof sits near the top. A small blue oak with a few dead twigs sits near the bottom.

Homeyou also says that large limb removal runs $168 to $486, with $312 as an average. Dead wood removal runs $176 to $428. Costs go up when the dead wood is high, near a structure, or mixed in with healthy growth.

Your pro gives you the price in person, after seeing the tree. Get it in writing.

Why El Dorado Hills tree trimming starts with a call

Oak work has a lot of small choices. Which limb, which season, how much. We don't make those calls. We find the person who does, and we make sure the visit gets booked.

• One phone call instead of five.
• A pro from your side of town.
• A quote before work starts.
• No cost to ask.

Tree trimming in El Dorado Hills, step by step

1. You call or fill in the form and tell us about the oak.
2. We ask a few questions. Is it dropping leaves? Is a limb over the house?
3. We book a pro who works your street, and we pick the day with you.
4. At the visit, the pro circles the tree and points to what should come off.
5. You get a price. Say yes or no.
6. If you say yes, the pro picks a day that fits the season.